Of the numerous benefits of 3D printing, reducing or eliminating inventory is perhaps the most appealing to those strapped for space. Due to the implications this feature has for security and military applications, the US Marine Corps is now exploring how 3D scanning, CAD and 3D printing and inspection tools can improve its combat readiness. With the help of 3DS, Marines personnel learned last week how they can create, reproduce and correct a set of broken parts in a quick and streamlined process.

At the Marine Expeditionary Logistics (ExLog) games in Quantico, VA, Marines discovered how to digitize objects within minutes using the Capture 3D scanner, which they could then solidify in a CAD program. From there, spare parts for broken equipment can be printed in a matter of hours on deployable 3D printers for same-day replacements. This “digital thread” represents a closed loop that brings objects from the physical space to the digital realm for regeneration back to the physical world.

The seamlessness of this process is invaluable for entities like the military, though such integration is applicable and appealing in other circles as well. If you need rapid parts delivery, maybe the Engineering Digital Thread is the missing link for your business.